The age of normalization of the eeg in children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes: A parameter for the discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs

Year 1995, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 144 - 146, 01.07.1995

A.D. Yalçın A. Gökyiğit A. Çalışkan

Abstract

Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT) is placed in the group of idiopathic partial epilepsies in the International Classification of Epilepsies and Epileptic Syndromes. Although the course of BECT is not always mild, the prognosis is favorable, therefore, some authors have emphasized that antiepileptic treatment may be unneccesary in most cases. However, many children with BECT have more than 2 seizures in the active period of the disease and must be treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The crucial problem to solve is when to stop AED in a patient with BECT. In this study we have identified the age of normalization of the electroencephalography (EEG) in 29 BECT patients and tried to determine whether this parameter can serve as a reliable criterion to stop AED treatment. We observed that there was a good correlation between the normalization of the EEG and the discontinuation of AED treatment, and suggest the use of low doses of AED in BECT patients after the second or third recognized seizure in the active period of the disease under periodic EEG evaluation.

Keywords

Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes; Normalization of the EEG; Antiepileptic drug treatment

References

• Commission on Classification and Terminology ol the International League Against Epilepsy. Proposal for revised classification of epilepsies and epileptic syndromes. Epilepsia 1989;30:389-399.